Whitman and Religion (topic of choice)
While both of the previous writers I had researched previously had defined religions that I could connect to their views, Whitman is much more loose. He is often described as a religious skeptic, but as I wrote in my research paper, he clearly uses religious terms and myths from Christianity. It is hard to place him in either camp between Muir and Pinchot, but based on "The Song of the Red-wood Tree" and "This Compost" I would argue that he is more for careful use and conservationism than simply setting all of nature aside. He definitely seems to see the land as a place for recreation and enjoyment, but I don't think this shifts him either way. Many sources seemed to say that he accepted most religions but didn't have one specific background that he agreed with. He doesn't consider God to be that important, for while he sees the signs and letters, he leaves them on the ground according to his poetry. This all seems to come together to show an equality of all things that shows an overarching, if unspecific, care for the environment as a whole.
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